Author: Sandi Keane

In recent years, the gulf between Coalition and Labor on anthropogenic global warming (AGW) has widened since politics overtook science in determining conservative attitudes on climate science. Freelance journalist, Peter Boyer, who was awarded an OAM for services to conservation and the environment, particularly in the fields of climate science and awareness, reports. WANT TO know why power bills are so high? Look no further than South Australia’s battery project and other “make-believe solutions to a make-believe crisis”. That was Andrew Bolt’s advice last week in one of his Herald-Sun tirades. Ignoring chief scientist Alan Finkel’s advice that high power prices are due to expensive...

Research economist, Professor John Quiggin, hypothesizes on Adani’s “green light” to Carmichael. His likely (scary) scenario sees the Australia public dudded with a half-built rail line to nowhere and a $1 billion black hole. A COUPLE OF days ago, Gautam Adani made the long awaited announcement that the Adani board had decided to proceed with the Carmichael mine-rail project in the Galilee Basin. As usual there was an asterisk. Construction work won’t start until Adani can get financial backing. This was previously supposed to be in June 2017 (that is, within weeks) but has now been deferred until 2018. Still, Adani...

There is one class of people in Australia which transcends political parties, dominates the business world and is the key to getting rich. That is, mates. Working hard is good, watching Anthony Robins tapes might help, but if you really want to get ahead, say Dr Cameron Murray and Professor Paul Frijters in their new book, ‘Game of Mates’, find yourself some good old mates. This is a tale of feather-nesting mates who skim billions from Australia’s economy to line their own pockets. Whether it’s property, mining, infrastructure or banking, the mates have their snouts firmly in it, helping themselves to a...

Yesterday, at Senate estimate hearings, Pauline Hanson lobbed another grenade into the on-going halal beat-up. She claimed that cows were slaughtered “alive” under halal. Sorry, but not quite true, Pauline. Sandi Keane’s investigation into ritual livestock slaughter reveals that halal stuns the animal beforehand (so technically “alive” but unconscious) unlike kosher which, by the way, may end up at the family BBQ or as your Sunday roast. Sandi’s investigation was in 2012 but remains true today. You can read further about ritual killing here. Your Sunday roast, brought to you by ritual animal slaughter Loopholes in the law mean that Australian consumers are...

Investigations into corporate tax avoidance led to tighter tax laws for Google and Facebook, adding almost a billion dollars to the federal budget this year. Why not levy Facebook and Google to fund public interest journalism? Story by journalist and academic Ben Eltham. THERE WAS a fascinating moment towards the end of Wednesday’s hearings of the Senate Inquiry into the Future of Public Interest Journalism. Journalist Michael West was at the stand. West’s experience is in many ways emblematic. Once a marquee investigator for Fairfax Media with multiple scoops to his name, West was made redundant in one of Fairfax’s seemingly endless rounds...

New Michael West Podcast

Created by PodcastOne, this 3 part series looks into how Australia has gone from one of the cheapest countries in the world for energy to one of the most expensive, and reveals just what has happened with our gas and electricity supply and why we are on the verge of an energy crisis.